Through the last tunnel and onto the Duke’s Cut.

We woke this morning to a change in the weather. The grey skies were still with us, but gone is the strong westerly, replaced by a much more gentle north-westerly.
There’ve been a few boats coming and going this weekend, when we left at just after 10 this morning there was only one other boat on the mooring at Dutton Hollow.

A last look across the Weaver valley as we leave Dutton Hollow
It’s less than a mile and a half to Preston Brook tunnel from here, and we’d left in plenty of time to get there before the 11:00 “window”. Like Saltersford, this tunnel has timed passage to avoid head-on encounters in the dark, but, as this is considerably longer, the window for entry is only 10 minutes, allowing 20 minutes for passage.

Through Longacre Wood as we approach Dutton Stop Lock and Preston Brook Tunnel

Dutton Dry Dock always seems to be busy…

The stop lock prevents water loss from the Trent and Mersey in the event of a Bridgewater Canal breach, and the cottage alongside would have housed a toll-collector, taking fees from boats crossing from one navigation authority to another.

Looking back at the stop lock

Southbound NB Bo’Jangles exits the tunnel while we wait for 11:00.

Our turn, into the tunnel mouth

The bore is brick-lined throughout, apart from the middle which was repaired with concrete sections after a collapse which closed the tunnel for over 2 years, from November 1981 till April 1984. Some of the brickwork, like just inside the south portal, has been stabilised with a spray coating of liquid concrete.

One of the ventilation shafts.

The tunnel walls are a lot damper at the north end, making the air a little misty.
Note the miniature flowstone stalactites between the bricks, caused by solidified lime leached out of the mortar.

Out into daylight, now on the Bridgewater Canal.

We made a stop under the M56 bridge for a visit to Midland Chandlers (as you do…) and, as it was raining again, hung on for a bite to eat before taking a left onto the Runcorn Arm and the services.

Under the M56.
A good spot to paint your boat, like those opposite, but I couldn’t stand the continuous “de-dunk” from traffic passing overhead.
We turned under the bridge on the left ahead for the services alongside Preston Brook Marina, before coming back out onto the main line to head towards Manchester.

Reversing to the services after turning in the marina entrance.

 I would normally turn around alongside the services, but with boats moored both sides it could have been awkward. There’s just enough width for a 58 footer.




Back out onto the main drag, preparing to annoy the fishing match…
To be fair, they were generally quite amiable.

Three major landmarks dominate the section between Preston Brook and Moore…

The Victorian water tower above Runcorn,

the tower at Daresbury Laboratory,

and Fiddlers Ferry Power Station, across the Mersey estuary

Signs of spring, a swallow pauses for breath on a boat aerial

ducklings by the score…

…and the early broods of cygnets

We moored for the night just beyond the village of Moore, with it’s useful little shop and Post Office. There are rings nearer, but the road alongside can be a bit noisy at times.

Moored near Moore, Meg’s waiting to play ball
This always used to be standard practice, tie up then spend 10 minutes chasing a ball. But while she was suffering with her arthritis she wasn’t interested. Now she’s feeling better we’re back to playing. I’ve taken her off the Glucosamine that I take, and started her on GLM, Green Lipped Mussel extract. It’s supposed to have really good results in these cases, so far it’s looking good.

After a gloomy, damp morning, this afternoon has turned out quite warm and sunny. The forecast indicates a steady improvement through the week. Good-oh!

Locks 1, miles 6

Once more up to the breach…

Sorry, I couldn’t resist paraphrasing Shakespeare’s Henry V; we moored this afternoon near Dutton Hollow, where a major breach in September 2012 closed the canal for 7 months.

After a very wet night we’ve had more of the same this afternoon, but by then we were tied up and snug, watching the dominating Mercedes team secure the front row (again) for tomorrow’s Belgium Grand Prix.

This morning’s short cruise was sunshine and showers, only one of which was heavy enough to be uncomfortable.

Just around the corner was Barnton Tunnel, the first of two today. There were two boats in the tunnel when we arrived, so we pulled over to let them exit the one-way bore before going through ourselves.

Waiting at Barnton Tunnel

Through Barnton and across the basin was the next tunnel, Saltersford. This one, due to a surveying error, has an S bend in the middle and no through vision, so now has timed passage windows to avoid congestion. Going north, access is allowed on the hour and up to 20 minutes after, southbound traffic have to go through between half-past and ten to.

Saltersford Tunnel, south entrance.

Before the time restriction was introduced about 6 years ago, it must have been interesting here at Bank Holiday weekends…

North of the tunnels the canal runs above the Weaver valley through lush woodland. Protected from the wind by the vegetation, we cruised through pools of perfume from hawthorn blossom, punctuated by the pungent aroma of wild garlic.

Above the Weaver

Out of the woods, looking down the valley.

Acton Swing Bridge over the river, and the Leigh Arms.

When we arrived at the moorings there was only one other boat here, but later on this afternoon the length of new concrete edge with rings is just about full.

Moored at Dutton Hollow

 

It’s a popular mooring for a very good reason…
You don’t get too many views like this from canal moorings!

Chas, you’ll be pleased to see that the hawthorn bushes you so diligently watered last time we were here seem to be doing well. Though the giant thistle is doing better…

We’ll stay here tomorrow, then push on on Monday to the end of the Trent and Mersey to join the Bridgewater at Preston Brook.

Locks 0, miles 4

Back to ditchcrawling…

After a week spent down on the wide, deep waters of the Weaver Navigation, we moved back up onto the Trent and Mersey via the Anderton Boat Lift.

We were intending to come up on Wednesday, maybe Thursday, but we had friends arrive on Wednesday so stayed near the lift.

Lesley and Joe, NB Yarwood, exiting the boat lift

I think Joe, on the tiller, has just been dripped on from the guillotine gate!

They joined us for dinner on Wednesday evening, then we were going to part company on Thursday, but it was such a wet, miserable day that both boat crews decided to stay put.

But we really need to make tracks towards Manchester, so this morning we were away up to Northwich to the services, before turning around and heading back downstream to the lift.

Heading towards Northwich, the footpath bridge over Witton Brook dead ahead.

Yarwood had already left ahead of us, and was moored on the visitor moorings above Town Bridge, and they walked back to the service wharf to join us in a brew while we filled the tank. We’re parting company here, they’re heading upstream to Vale Royal while we leave the river.

Elevenses, Lesley with Floyd, Mags has adopted Fletcher (or it might be the other way around…), Meg and Joe.

The development of the site of the old Flotel has come on apace since we were last here, the new Waitrose is open for business and there’re moorings on pontoons in the wide.

Turning around past NB Yarwood.
Blimey Joe, they’re big uns!

We moored on the lower holding mooring alongside another boat, and I went up to the booking office to be given a slot for 13:40, 2¼ hours away. And we had to move off the moorings to allow earlier booked boats on.
So we obliged, I turned around and was heading back to moor a little bit upstream when Mags spotted one of the lift operators waving madly from the upper platform, and directing us back to the mooring we’d just left.
It turned out that we’d been given the wrong time, and we would actually be on  the way up at 12:50. A bit better for us, then.

A couple of boats went up, then another two came down, the trip boat the Edwin Clark went up and came back down again, then it was our turn.

Edwin Clark leaves the lift with another load of sightseers

What we see of the lift now is considerably more complex than Clark’s original structure. It was a lighter framework then, without the top machinery deck, because all it had to do was guide the caissons as they rose and fell on hydraulic rams, and support the end of the connecting aqueduct.

The lift now, with angled bracing and the machinery deck

The extra ironwork was added when the structure was converted to use balance weights. Now it had to support the weight of the caissons and the counterweights, some 250 tons each side. At this time the system of double gates at the river level was devised, to keep water out of the lower docks when the caissons were raised. Prior to this the tanks dropped into water filled docks at river level.

Pitting in the iron sides of the caissons indicates the earlier wet-dock water level. They would be sat in the water when at the lower position.

Looking up at the caisson bringing two more boats down to river level as we rise to canal level.

The two tanks can work independently, but its more efficient to use the weight of the one coming down to help push the other one up.

There are links between the lift and the motor industry, dating back to 1906 and the counterbalance modifications. The gearing on the machine deck, double herringbone in pattern, was patented by André-Gustave Citroën, later to form the car manufacturer.

The marque’s logo reflects this design…

Looks familiar?

The other connection is with Sir Henry Royce, who shortly after became one half of a very successful British luxury car company.
Royce owned a factory making dynamos and electric cranes in Trafford Park, Manchester, and was contracted to provide the motors and switchgear for the machinery deck.
He was a busy chap at this time. In 1904 he’d met a man with a car dealership in London named Charles Rolls…

Sixty feet up to the machinery deck.

We returned to the canal at about half past one, turning left past the newly-refurbished Stanley Arms and heading for Barnton.

Stanley Arms, 48 hour customer moorings here on the offside.

Cruising above the Weaver valley

We pulled in before the main road bridge, the last before the first of the two tunnels. Shopping up at Barnton Co-op in the morning, then on out to spend the rest of the weekend up near Dutton.

This lot will be a bit of a handful when they get older!

Locks 0, miles 5¼

Weaver wildlife

The valley is rich in all sorts of wildlife, and I tried, with limited success, to catch some on camera today as we cruised from Acton Bridge to Barnton Cut.

First thing this morning, after a blustery, showery night.




We topped off the water tank and disposed of the rubbish at the bridge before we left. There used to be an elsan disposal here too, useful as there’s only one other on the river. It was closed a couple of years ago, when it was realised that it was dumping straight into the river. It turns out that it started life as the bridge-keeper’s convenience, and it wasn’t considered to matter that much then…

Lots of ducklings around now

I love this one… “come on kids, away from the nasty boat…”

Heron eyeing up the possibility of a duckling for lunch.
You normally think of these patient birds sitting hunched over looking into the water for fish. But they’re opportunist feeders, and will take mammals, voles, frogs, and ducklings if they’re small enough.

Another predator, this time a male kestrel

Grey clouds had started to build towards lunchtime, but we only had a few spots of rain.

I spotted buzzards and a kingfisher, but the former were too far away, and the latter just too fast!

Back to the waterfowl, and we’ve got a blurry tufted duck…

…and a blurry coot in flight. (strictly speaking this guy’s a rail, not fowl).

I just had to include a swan, as there’s lots of them about. This one is one of last years, looking at the plumage. Not paired up yet.

Ian, the lockie at Saltersford, had the gates open as we arrived.

Saltersford Locks

Picking up the bow line from Mags

The grills at water level protect the sluices from floating debris

Does the water run out of the lock through large iron pipes? It’s not clear from a photo taken through the grill.

We watched a cormorant wing over the lock while we were filling, and it landed above the lock. But I wasn’t quick enough to catch it as we came out…

That blur, yes on the right at water level, that’s a cormorant…

And a mallard on the lockside.

We stopped on Barnton Cut, not on the popular length with a good edge, nor on the shorter bit around the corner we sometimes use. No, we pulled onto the “Billy No Mates” mooring further round still. Just room for one boat here.

All being well, we’ll be meeting up with Lesley and Joe and the boys off NB Yarwood tomorrow.

Locks 1, miles 2½